Where is your carseat?

[Mom'n it]

For the lovely toddlers. Do you put it still in the middle? Or do you feel safer on the ends (behind driver/passenger). I've heard different opinions. What are yours?

[prettymom]

Middle back rear-facing. We have a tiny Mazda, so to get DD in I have to sit down to get her into the middle. Not the most convenient place, but I feel like it is the safest.

[aja-belly]

ours are in the two captains chairs in the middle row of our van. they are not in the center, but not right against the door.

i have only ever heard that the middle seat was safest (assuming of course a properly installed carseat).

[Arielle]

I have one in the center, rear facing and one on the passenger side front facing.

[leximom]

I have a small car and two big seats so the are behind the drivers and passenger seat. Where else would they go

If I only had one, it would go in the middle, though.

[Mom'n it]

I guess i should say I have a Rav4 and I nanny.. butttt Is it safest to have baby behind the driver seat (or passenger) or away from the door? Safe because of the seat.. blockage.. (while middle doesn't prevent flying through window) or other seat options? ???

[Mom'n it]

Oh and as a side note.. as far as back safety. How do you do it otherwise? Putting a child in a carseat? it's so painful twisting. and such... ?

[ecoteat]

Ours is behind the driver's seat. Not because it's my favorite place for it, but because the passenger side seatbelt buckle doesn't lock for the carseat and when it's in the middle I can't shimmy back there from the front passenger seat if dd needs me to sit with her when dh is driving.

[BeanyMama]

Originally Posted by leximom

I have a small car and two big seats so the are behind the drivers and passenger seat. Where else would they go

If I only had one, it would go in the middle, though.

that

[pbjmama]

Originally Posted by Bredette

Oh and as a side note.. as far as back safety. How do you do it otherwise? Putting a child in a carseat? it's so painful twisting. and such... ?

I'm not sure I understand this part of the question? Do you mean your back hurts when putting your child in the seat? Or...something else?

DS is behind the drivers seat, FF facing. I kept him in the middle and RF until 31 lbs, then FF middle until my prego belly got so big I couldn't get him in and out with out excess effort and strain. Then we moved him to behind the drivers seat.

RF is the safest options until your LO surpasses the weight limit for RF. Middle seat is always the safest unless your car has a middle seat belt malfunction, or no middle seat, I suppose. Car seat installation/inspection techs will tell you this every time.

[lexmas]

In the middle. Always. I'm insane about car safety, when I was 10 my best friend's family was in a car accident and only the 2 kids in middle seats survived. I tell people that when I have another I'll get a van so I can have two middle seats, and I wish I was kidding. Someday someone will have to get a window seat!

[hottmama]

I have two kids. Since my 5 yr. old is forward-facing, he is in the middle, because FFing is less safe than rear-facing. My rear-facing (31 lb. 35") 2 yr. old is behind the passenger seat. When I turn him FFing (in 6 mos. or so, when he hits the RFing limit) I will switch them so that the littler is in the middle.

[Sarahbunny]

Front facing, behind the driver's seat. I can't see out of the rearview mirror if she is in the middle, so I had to weigh which was safer. I chose to be able to see out of the mirror. I would put her in the middle if I could though. Although it would hurt my back like crazy.

[ShadowMoon]

We have a small Mazda hatchback so ours is middle, back, and still rear facing.

[MPsSweetie]

Asheby is behind me rear facing (passenger side), Amethyst is behind James front facing.

[Neth Naneth]

In the middle front facing because he is too tall to be rear facing.

[Neth Naneth]

In the middle front facing because he is too tall to be rear facing.

[Peony]

15m old DD2 rides in the passenger side captain's chair in the second row of our Sienna RFIng of course. That seat can be scooted over more towards the middle so that's what I did. 5y old DD1 rides in the third row on the R side, I would prefer her riding in the middle but her Regent is so tall that it makes it very difficult for me when I back up and honestly I'm not the best parker/backer-upper in the best place.

[unityco]

Originally Posted by Bredette

(while middle doesn't prevent flying through window)

With a properly installed, properly used seat (harness in the right slots, adjusted snuggly, etc.,) there should be no fear about flying through the window. The seat should hold the child in place in the event of a crash.

My DS rides in the middle FF. Not only do I believe it's safer for him there, I find it a better arrangement for carrying extra passengers. Most adults would rather be squished beside his seat on either side than be squished against each other if he were outboard As an extra bonus, DS gets a good view out the front window, which he really seems to enjoy (but please don't take that as a reason to turn your toddler FF if they fit RF... DS is over 40lbs, so RF is no longer an option for him .) I also find it convenient to be able to kneel on the seat beside him, out of the elements, to do up his harness - rather than standing outside the car if he were outboard.

Just my two cents, anyway!

BTW, a great source of carseat info is car-seat.org

[mom2PJS]

Originally Posted by Arielle

I have one in the center, rear facing and one on the passenger side front facing.

Just a note ... if it is feasible the general recommendation is for the least protected child to be in the most protected place .....so if you can, the RF child outboard and the FF child in the center.

I have one RF 2yo in the middle in my car and DH's. She rides in my parent's car 1-2 times a month and her seat is RF behind the passenger, because my parents had a hard time getting her properly buckled in with it in the middle and they were not able to uninstall and reinstall the seat without the LATCH. As for back pain I sit in the car with her then put her in her seat and buckle her. The middle is considered the safest position if you can properly install the seat there. As far as I know neither outboard position is safer than the other... but most people adjust the driver's seat more often and prefer to not have a seat directly behind them.